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Readability

readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com

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What it is

Readability analyzes Markdown files and reports measures of reading complexity. It provides grade level, reading ease and estimated reading time calculated at 200 words per minute. The listed grade-level formulas are Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, Coleman-Liau, SMOG and ARI. It also measures word and sentence metrics and can detect or require MkDocs-style admonitions. Results can be produced as a table, Markdown, JSON, summary or report. Configurable thresholds can fail CI checks when documentation exceeds them, and a.readability.yml file supports path-specific overrides. The project documents a Go command-line tool, Docker, a GitHub Action and pre-commit hooks, alongside CI/CD examples for GitLab CI, CircleCI and Jenkins. Pre-built binaries are listed for Linux and macOS in amd64 and arm64, and Windows in amd64. The project identifies its license as MIT and lists no paid plans. Its documentation cautions that scores measure word and sentence complexity, not accuracy, completeness, context or tone.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Readability analyzes Markdown files and reports readability scores.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
Intended users
The product site names bloggers, technical writers, documentation teams, students, and curious readers as audiences for its introductory material.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
Platforms
Pre-built binaries are listed for Linux amd64 and arm64, macOS amd64 and arm64, and Windows amd64.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab
Deployment
It can be installed as a Go command-line tool, run through Docker, added as a GitHub Action, or built from source.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab
Integrations
The project provides a GitHub Action and pre-commit hooks, and documents CI/CD examples for GitLab CI, CircleCI, and Jenkins.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
License
The repository identifies its license as MIT.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Headquarters
SwitzerlandRead 28 Sep 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
Additional checks
It can measure word and sentence metrics and detect or require MkDocs-style admonitions.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Configuration
A .readability.yml file can set thresholds and path-specific overrides, and the project provides a JSON Schema for editor validation and autocomplete.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab
Container verification
The repository documents verifying the Docker image signature with cosign.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Docker security
The Docker guide says images are signed with Cosign, include a signed SBOM, and use a distroless base image that runs as a non-root user.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab
GitHub integration
The GitHub Action can run checks in workflows and add a formatted report to the Actions job summary.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limitations
The maker says readability scores assess sentence and word complexity and cannot determine accuracy, completeness, context, or tone.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab
Metrics
It reports grade level, reading ease, reading time, and scores including Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, Coleman-Liau, SMOG, and ARI.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Notable limit
The documented pre-built Windows binary is for amd64; the page lists amd64 and arm64 for Linux and macOS.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
Output formats
Listed output formats include table, Markdown, JSON, summary, and report.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Reading formulas
The project lists Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, Coleman-Liau, SMOG, and ARI grade-level scores.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Supported binaries
Pre-built binaries are listed for Linux (amd64, arm64), macOS (amd64, arm64), and Windows (amd64).Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
Threshold checks
Threshold enforcement can fail a CI check when content quality drops.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Thresholds
Users can configure thresholds and make CI checks fail when documentation exceeds them.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
Ways to run
The project documents a command-line tool, a GitHub Action, a Docker image, and pre-commit hooks.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab.com
Who it is for
The documentation describes use cases for bloggers, technical documentation writers, documentation teams, students, and people curious about readability.Read 7 Oct 2026 · readability.adaptive-enforcement-lab

Plans and prices

Readability Free MIT-licensed GitHub Action, CLI, and Docker image; no paid plans listed Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com

Every Readability plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Reports five listed grade-level formula scores
  • Exports tables, Markdown, JSON, summaries or reports
  • Thresholds can fail CI checks
  • Documented CLI, Docker, GitHub Action and hooks
  • MIT licensed with no paid plans listed

Limits

  • Analyzes Markdown files
  • Windows pre-built binary is listed for amd64 only
  • Scores cannot assess accuracy or completeness
  • Plain-language rewrites are not provided

Who it suits

It suits bloggers, technical writers, documentation teams and students who want readability metrics for Markdown. Teams using CI can configure thresholds to flag content for review.

Verdict

Readability offers a free, open-source route to measure Markdown complexity and add threshold checks to content workflows. Its scores are indicators of sentence and word complexity, not judgments about accuracy, context or tone.

Where Specifiction places it

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